Buckle.



P. R. T-UTTLE.

BUCKLE.

APPLIGATION FILED NOV. 13, 1909.

956,909, I Patented May- 3 1910.

PERRY R. TUTTLE, or ROZELQKANSAS.

BUCKLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 3, 1910.

Application filed November 13, 1909. Serial No. 527,890.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PERRY It. TUTTLE, a citizen of the United States, residin at Rozel, in the county of Pawnee and gtate of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Buckles, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in buckles and has for its object to provide a device of this character whereby the tongue of the buckle will be quickly released from the opening in the end of the connected strap.

Another object is to provide a buckle of Very simple construction which is adapted to facilitate the disconnection of harness straps whereby the user will be relieved of considerable labor heretofore required in the unharnessing of horses.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a buckle showing the end of a strap engaged therein; Fig. 2 1s a perspective View of the buckle, and Fig. 3 is a detail fragmentary elevation thereof.

Referring to the drawings 5 indicates the longitudinal bars of the buckle which is of the conventional form and 6 the tongue which is pivoted centrally on one of the cross bars 7. The other of these bars has a roller 8 arranged thereon with which the outer end of the buckle tongue engages.

The bar 7 on which the tongue 6 is pivoted has integrally formed therewith spaced lugs 9 disposed upon opposite sides of the tongue whereby the same will be held from longitudinal movement thereon. At the ends of the bar 7 the corners formed by the connection of the ends of the longitudinal bars of the buckle therewith are extended or provided with the projections 10. A spring 11 is coiled about the bar 7 and is formed from a single length of spring steel wire. The central portion of this wire is bent or bowed to provide a bight portion 12 which engages with the under side of the buckle tongue and is normally adapted to raise the same to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. The ends of the spring wire 11 are securely fixed by coiling the same about the end portions of the buckle beyond the projections 10. These projections serve to l1mit the longitudinal movement of the coils upon the bar 7 and preserve the proper tension of the spring.

In the operation of the buckle, the same is adapted to be secured to the end of a strap by looping the strap about the bar 7 upon which the spring is coiled, the tongue 6 extending through said strap. The end of the strap to be engaged in the buckle is passed under the roller .8, and the tongue inserted in one of the openings therein. The strain upon the straps retains the end of the tongue in engagement with the roller, but it will be obvious that as soon as this strain is released and the end of the strap raised, the spring 11 which is under tension will force the buckle tongue upwardly and outwardly and withdraw the same from the opening in the strap. When the strap leather becomes dampened and hardened it is a difficult matter to unbuckle the connected straps with devices of this character as at present constructed. By the use of a buckle constructed as above set forth, the straps may be very quickly disconnected at all times and with but little expenditure of manual energy.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a very novel buckle which is of great utility, very durable and highly efiicient in its operation. The action of the buckle tongue is almost instantaneous with the release of the strains upon the stra s, and such a device will be found especially desirable for use in connection with hame tongues and other harness straps which are only occasionally unbuckled. The device is practically indestructible and may be manufactured at a very low cost.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is:

A buckle comprising longitudinal and cross bars, a tongue centrally pivoted upon one of the cross bars, lugs integrally formed with said bar upon opposite sides of the tongue adapted to prevent longitudinal movement of the tongue thereon, the ends of said bar and the connected ends of the longitudinal bars being enlarged to form proj c ns thereon, and a spring formed fr m a single length of Wire coiled around said crossbar between the lugs and said projections, the central portion of said sprlng being outwardly and downwardly extended to form a bight portion engaging with the 11 1: I der side of said tongue, the extremities of aid W e ng coiled ab d fixed to;

he longi u inal b s of the fr me ey s id prbjec i n In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

" PERRY R. TUTTLE.

Witnesses:

H. L. DUGAN, ELBERT MARSH. 

